my unforgettable summer of 2007 by yulia musiyuk
This past summer Rapport had the amazing opportunity of hiring Yulia Musiyuk, visiting from Russia, as an intern during her two and a half month stay with our Executive Assistant, Alena Makarava. At the end of her visit here, she wrote this amazing letter that we wanted to share with you as a reminder of how to really celebrate the moment and enjoy all life has to offer in this incredible country in which we live.
My Unforgettable Summer of 2007
When I learned about the opportunity to come to the United States, I was excited, speechless, and I had tears of happiness in my eyes. And at the same time, I was a little bit concerned because I had a stereotype that Las Vegas is the place in the middle of a desert with snakes and bugs. When I came here, though, everything seemed amazing to me. I saw beautiful palm trees and magnificent casinos with so many neon lights for the first time in my life. And people here are very friendly and smile all the time.
I was impressed with the conditions of living here. I am like a princess in Alena’s house. I have my own bedroom decorated like a tropical island and a pink “girly” bathroom. I have a television with 500 channels (at home we have six), a telephone, and a computer with fast speed internet all in my bedroom.
Also, I’ve never seen such huge refrigerators before. You can fit anything you want in there - and the pantry! You can store food for weeks without going back to the store. We go to the store every other day in Russia. Dishwashers are so cool, too; we do not have them in Russia and they save so much time. We do not have drying machines at home either! We dry our clothes on the clothes lines outside; it is very hard physical work!
The way you make popcorn is also very interesting: you put a little paper bag in the microwave, wait for two minutes, and a miracle happens - you get a big plate of tasty stuff.
There are a lot of places to have fun in Las Vegas. For example, you can go to any casino, which has all the services you want: movie theatre, swimming pool, stores, hotel, restaurant, gambling and shows. Or, you can go to a mall which also has almost everything. I can spend all day there. In my country we don’t have places like this. The first time I went to a mall I got lost because of so many different choices. I love your book stores like Barnes and Noble where you can read the books before you decide if you want to buy it or not. Oh, and your system of returns is amazing! In Russia all the purchases are final; there are no returns!
You can afford to go to a restaurant very often. In my country restaurants are a luxury. We go there once or twice a year. Here I went to the restaurants with Alena and Kevin every weekend, tasting Japanese, Mexican, American, Chinese and Italian cuisines.
Cars are luxury in Russia, too. In America everyone drives a car, and it’s possible to have a car when you are sixteen with the credit system you have. In my country young people cannot even think about it. In Russia you have to have 100% cash to buy it with. By the way, I learned how drive a car this summer.
Speaking about driving - the maximum speed you can go in Russia is 60 miles per hour. Here you can go 75 miles per hour or more. And speed is your life. You do a lot of things during the day and you do them fast!
I went to California last weekend. I went to Hollywood Boulevard with the stars pressed in the walkways, Beverly Hills with the most beautiful houses, Rodeo Drive with the famous designer’s boutiques, Kodak Theatre where the Oscar Ceremony takes place every year and the Chinese Theater where most movie premieres take place. I could not even imagine that I would have a chance to see it in real life. Also, I was impressed with the beauty of California’s beaches. We went to Laguna Beach, Santa Monica Pier, and Newport Beach. They are amazing places, like paradise!
A few weeks ago I went to the Grand Canyon. It’s one of the natural wonders of the world. I read about this place before, and it was my dream to see it. When I go home I’ll share my impressions with my parents and friends… they won’t believe me! (But I have pictures to prove it!)
I went boating at Lake Havasu in Arizona! I’d never been on a boat before. It was one of the greatest experiences I had this summer! The water of the lake is green, like sparkling emeralds; rocks that surround this lake are beautiful, like on a postcard. Everything was so much fun. I learned how to drive a boat, too!
But the most valuable experience this summer was the opportunity to work for Rapport Leadership International. I was very excited and nervous about coming here for the first time, but when I saw all of you, when I felt this friendly environment, I understood that I’m a part of your family. There is no such a company in our country, that’s for sure! It’s unbelievable for Russia to have a president of the company who hugs his employees.
I said this before, and I’m going to repeat this many, many times: thank you once again for an amazing Leadership Breakthrough One class. I have learned that I have a power to be a leader, that if I really want something I can do it, and I WILL do it! I grew up because of this class. I do not mean that I grew up and I became taller, I mean I grew up and became more mature. I will apply everything that I got from the amazing experience of this summer 2007 in my life when I go back home. I will share it with my family and friends! Thank you for the best two and a half months in my life!
Please share your story by emailing us at closingcircle@rapportleadership.com
